“Searching for evidence. Why? Do you have a problem with that?” she retorted in cold sarcasm.
“I don’t, but Detective Jensen might. He was the investigating officer handling the case. He’s one of our best, you know, so I can assure you, you won’t find anything out of order or any rocks unturned. He and his partner did everything they could to find that kid.”
“So then no one should have a problem with me looking through it. Right?”
“Barney . . . you know, the guy you replaced?”
Jessie threw her hands in the air attracting the attention of the other detectives in the room, anxiety pinching every nerve in her body. “Look,” she said, unable to hold her tongue any longer, and fired back succinctly. “I know you loved Barney. I know you’re upset he’s gone. And I know you miss him. But I didn’t kill him. And I didn’t ask to be partnered with you. After being here for six months, I’ve tried to jump through hoops hoping we could be friends. But you make it impossible. So here’s my suggestion. You can either accept me as your partner, or you can go to the Lieutenant and ask for a replacement, because quite frankly, I’m sick of your pretentious ass.” Jess could feel the heat of the other detectives’ stare. Bud’s face flushed into a bright crimson as he turned and walked out of the room. Glancing at the detectives, she noticed they were smiling, while one even pretended to be blowing on the barrel of a gun.
Her heart raced from the frustration of always being compared to Barney. It wasn’t until the guilt began to seep inside her chest that she realized Bud may have had something important to tell her when she went off on him like that.
She was grateful to be distracted by the ringing of her cell phone. Seeing Zach’s name flash across the screen, she blew out a hefty breath. She stepped outside the door of the room. Talking to Zach would give her time to cool off. The sound of his voice did that for her.
“I’m having one helluva day,” he said. “How’s your day going?”
“About as good as yours,” she said. “Want to meet for dinner tonight so we can unload on each other?”
“Yeah, pending any catastrophes,” he said, “I’d love to see your beautiful face.”
“Right now, hotshot, flattery will get you everywhere.”
“Ooh, that sounds hopeful.”
She laughed. “I’ll call you later.”
“And I’ll answer.”
Bud rushed back into the evidence room. “We have another case in the fancy part of the city. The kid’s name is Kelly Sloper.” A soft gasp escaped Jessie’s mouth. “You know the name then?”
“Who doesn’t?” Jess said.
“Yep, she’s the great granddaughter and the heir of the Sloper oil fortune. According to the teacher, the kid was on the playground one minute and gone the next. She attends that swanky school up in Nassau,” he checked his notes, “it’s the Pearsall Academy.”
Jessie returned the box to the shelf and checked out with the clerk. “I’ll come by tomorrow to check the box out again. We have an emergency.”
The clerk nodded. “The box ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
Rushing to her desk, she grabbed her briefcase and followed close behind. In the car, Bud filled in the few details he knew. “The kid is nine-years-old.”
“I sent a patrol car over to talk to the teachers and canvas the students.”
“What do you know about the parents?” she asked. “The kid’s home life?”
“Not much. But we’ll visit the parents next.” he said without looking away from the road. “They live on Fifth Avenue on the upper east side.”
“Nice,” Jessie said hoping to keep the conversation going, but Bud ended it without another word until he stopped the car in front of the tall stone building with a green canopy and long floral runner covering the sidewalk where a white-gloved doorman stood. A parking attendant ran out to the car, but backed off when Bud held his hand out.
“I’d like to leave my car right here.”
“That’s fine, Detective. I’ll keep an eye on it.”
“Can I help you folks,” he asked until Jess held out her badge. He automatically pulled the door open and the two walked inside the lobby.
“Do you know which floor they’re on?” she asked Bud
Bud checked his notes and pushed the button for the elevator. “They’re on the 24th floor,” he said. “When we get in there, you watch and listen,” he said firmly. “I don’t want you giving these people false hope that we’re going to find their kid, because we may not.”
“I understand.”
The ride up was fast, with the elevator opening right into the foyer of the fourteen-room apartment. When Jess stepped out, the ceiling to floor windows made her feel like she was sitting at a table at Windows of the World, a restaurant that was no longer there since the September 11 attack.
The mother stood when the maid announced they’d arrived and greeted them. The husband, who was on the phone, looked up when he heard their voices and quickly disconnected his call, walking over to where they stood. A handsome couple, the Slopers stood side-by-side, strained expressions clouding their faces.
“We’re Detectives Reece and Kensington,” Bud said. “Is there a place we can talk, Mrs. Sloper, so we won’t be interrupted by the phone?”
“I’ve already turned off our cell phones.” She wiped a tear with the tissue she held. “Have you heard anything yet? Found out who’s doing this?” Her voice cracked and an avalanche of tears poured from her eyes. Mr. Sloper moved closer to hold her in his arms. “She’s a nine-year-old child who’s probably confused and frightened.”
“Has anyone called demanding ransom?” Bud asked, his eyes blinked making it obvious he was feeling their pain.
She glanced at her husband who responded. “Nothing yet,” he replied.
Sensing the husband was lying when he couldn’t look her in the eye, Jessie added a comment. “You know, information like that is essential to our investigation.”
“Of course we do,” Mrs. Sloper responded.
“Jessie’s right,” Bud said. “You can be sure they’ll tell you everything you want to hear and wind up taking your money and your kid. We’d like to avoid that.” The woman glanced toward her husband.
“No,” he reconfirmed. “We’ve not heard from anyone,” he said.
“Tell us what you know,” Bud said.
“Mrs. Campbell, her teacher called about two o’clock saying the class had done a science project outside and when they’d concluded, everyone but Lily returned to class, and that’s when we called you.”
“Alright. The Feds will be all over this in a little while. They’ll come and set up camp wherever you tell them and the phones will be hooked up to their monitor in order to track these guys down.”
“I’ll never forgive myself if Lily doesn’t come home. We had an argument this morning and I feel very badly about our exchange of harsh words.”
The elevator doors opened and caught everyone’s attention, and there stood Lily Sloper with her books. Warren Sloper rushed over to her. “Where the hell have you been?”
“At school, Dad, where the hell do you think I’ve been?”
Kelli rushed over and hugged the child. “I was so worried about you, Lily. I’m sorry about this morning.”
Lily’s eyes rolled. “I’m fine.” She turned and walked down the hall, her father fast on her heels.
Showing signs of embarrassment, Kelli’s eyes refused to look at the detectives when she spoke. “I’m sorry for the false alarm, Detectives. We appreciate your quick response.”
“We’re glad she’s home, Mrs. Sloper.” They both stepped inside the elevator and rode down to the ground floor.
“Pretty interesting family dynamics,” Jess said.
“Yeah, we get that a lot with the Ritz crowd,” Bud said shaking his head. “I guess she wanted her parents to worry about her.”
“So it seems.”
CHAPTER SIX
ZACH pulled up in front of the fo
ster home where Jake had been placed, wondering how things were going. Exiting the car, he surveyed the property, noticing a group of young boys playing in the backyard. He didn’t see Jake among them, but realized they could have been neighboring kids using the yard. The property was a decent size lot for a City Island neighborhood and was inland from the harbor. Probably a blessing for the foster parents living on the island—one less thing they had to worry about with young kids living in their home. He wondered if the Hodges were what they called clamdiggers, a name the City Islanders give to those who were born on the island, as opposed to musslesuckers, who were imports into the community. Zach realized he obviously fell under the latter.
He hadn’t had much contact with any of the locals since moving there because of his work schedule so he wasn’t aware if any musslesuckers were being treated differently. The truth was, any spare time he had was spent with Jessie and they weren’t wasting time sightseeing. He’d rented a great little bungalow on Deep Water Way on the island, but he rarely had any time to enjoy his surroundings or the beautiful water view from his backyard.
As he got closer to the Hodge’s porch, he could see the home needed a little TLC. That might have been in part due to the moisture and salt water. He walked up the steps and rang the buzzer.
Mrs. Hodges was a woman probably in her mid-thirties, tall and slender with red hair, and a killer smile.
“I’m Detective Gerard from the five-one precinct, and I’m here to see Jake,” he flashed his shield.
“Yes,” she said brushing hair from her cheek. “I received a call letting me know you were coming this afternoon.”
“Can I see him?”
“I believe you’ll find him in the tree house.” She pointed. “Those little guys out there,” she tipped her head in the direction, “won’t leave him alone, so I noticed he scooted up there as fast as his legs would carry him.” She grinned. “I believe you’ll find the ladder on the ground somewhere close by. I suspect he wants to make sure he’s left alone. I guess it’s good in one respect given his circumstances. It keeps his mind focused on them and not on what he’s been through.”
“For sure. Okay, thanks.” Turning in the direction, he walked over to the tree house and called out to Jake. “Detective Gerard here. What are you doing up there all by yourself?” He heard Jake’s voice before he saw him.
“It’s the only place I can hide from these kids.” Seconds later, he appeared on the small porch surrounding the tree house.
Zach snickered. “Can you come down so we can talk?”
“Are you taking me to my aunt’s house?” he asked anxiously. “Should I pack my things?”
“Not yet, bud.” He looked around for the ladder and noticed it partially covered with leaves. “I’m surprised you didn’t pull the ladder up after you.”
“I had thought of it, but figured the kids couldn’t lift it anyway.”
While Zach held the ladder, Jake made his way down each rung. The boy was no sooner down a couple of rungs when the group of kids circled around them.
“Who are you?” the shortest of the bunch asked, his short spiked hair and round-red-framed glasses making him look older than he probably was.
“Zach,” he said, “I’m a friend of Jake’s. Who are you?”
“I’m Lucas,” he said extending his hand apparently trying to impress Zach, “but feel free to call me, Luc.”
Zach shook his tiny hand and grinned at the kid who couldn’t have been more than four or five years old. “Hello, Luc,” he said as the other kids waved and ran off to play. Lucas stayed behind.
“Luc,” Jake said, releasing a sigh, “you’d better get back over to the baseball game or the other kids are going to get mad at you.”
“Okay, Jake,” he said with a salute and took off shouting “infinity and beyond.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “See what I mean?”
“Having someone love you isn’t half bad, you know.”
Jake didn’t comment, except to change the subject. “I’m never going to leave here, am I?”
“I never said that, bud. Listen, this is a complex case. If you tell me what happened . . . what you saw . . . then I’ll do whatever I can to expedite it. The longer you keep a tight lip, the longer it’s going to take. I know this is going to be difficult for you, but I really need your help.”
Jake stepped down off the last rung and turned to Zach and groaned. “There are too many kids in this house. I try to tell them I don’t want to talk, but they like me . . . I guess.”
“Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“Depends on how you feel about it. Me, personally, I’m not diggin’ it.”
Zach laughed at his attempt at maturity. “Should we sit here at the picnic table?” Zach asked.
“Do you want to be bothered by these kids?” he asked waving his hand. “This backyard is like a school playground.”
“Are the Hodges treating you well?”
“Yeah, they’re okay, but I want to go to my aunt’s house.”
Zach didn’t have the heart to tell him Irene Stone wasn’t really his aunt. “Okay. Let’s go sit in the car. I’ll turn on the motor so it’s cool.”
“Oh good. That’s another thing. These people don’t have air conditioning.”
“Well then, the air-conditioned car is going to feel good.”
Jake locked his door after getting inside and all the kids raced over to the car yelling. He groaned. “You getting the picture now, Gerard? Cripes, I can’t even sit inside a car.”
“They want to make sure you don’t leave without saying goodbye.” He nodded toward the passenger’s side window. “Lucas has his nose pressed against the window. “Why don’t you tell them we’re visiting?”
“Okay,” he huffed out a breath and watched the window roll down. “Guys,” he jerked his head toward them, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m talking to my friend. So be good kids and go back to your game.” Lucas pouted. “I’ll play with you later, Luc.” He nodded, “go play with the kids now, okay?” Lucas walked away his head and shoulders sagged in disappointment.
“How many kids are in this house?” Zach asked when he raised the window back up.
“I’m number seven.”
“Holy Hannah. I’m sorry,” Zach said while rubbing the boy’s shoulder. “But they’re treating you good, right?”
“Yeah. They’re nice people. It’s all these kids hounding me.”
“They’re looking to you like an older brother.”
“Yeah, I know, but I never had any brothers or sisters. It was Dad and me, so it’s hard to deal with. I really want to be left alone.”
“I’m sure you do, but the kids are keeping you busy. Helps to take your mind off things, doesn’t it?”
“A little.”
Zach lowered his head to Jake’s eye level. “A little distraction is a good thing, bud.”
“I suppose . . . a little.” Jake looked in the direction of the backyard where the kids were playing. “Luc will be sad if I leave. He lost his whole family in a fire.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Zach decided making the boy feel comfortable first was the most important thing if he was ever going to find out how much he knew. Zach knew he wasn’t following protocol by questioning the boy without someone from Family Services being present, but he didn’t care. The boy had been through enough of an ordeal. Surrounding him with strangers was cruel punishment. Nevertheless, he had to be concerned about the boy’s welfare, especially after hearing Springer’s concerns about the smugglers, but now that there were six other kids living with Jake, their lives would be in danger as well.
He’d promised Springer a report after seeing Jake again, and he would honor his agreement. When McGee had called in early to say he was sick, Zach was glad. He didn’t need him complicating things.
Getting Jake to trust him enough to tell him what he saw was first and foremost. The coroner hadn’t completed the autopsy yet,
nor had the bullet from his father’s body been linked to the gun it came from. True, it was a stray bullet, but it could have been the Swat Team’s or the gun smugglers’. Either way didn’t matter—the man was dead.
“Tell me about yourself, Jake.”
“What do you want to know?”
“What was your neighborhood like?”
Jake sighed. “We didn’t really do much in the neighborhood. Dad said it wasn’t the kind of neighborhood where he felt safe letting me get involved. I had a few friends before Dad started to home-school me, but they didn’t keep in touch and dad never let me invite them to the house.”
“That must have been pretty hard for you. Do you know why he wouldn’t let you invite them?”
“He didn’t want people knowing our business.” Jake’s head tilted to the side. “I don’t know, but he got angry whenever I’d ask, so I stopped.”
“Did you two do special things together?”
“Oh yeah,” his face lit up. “My dad was a great guy.” The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the memory of the outcome hit the kid. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. He wiped them quickly and continued talking. “We did special things every weekend like rent a boat, and then he’d take me out on the water.” It was obvious the boy’s mind weaved in an out of sadness by the expressions on his face as he talked about the various things they did together. “Did you know the Columbia University Sailing Team come all the way from Manhattan and practice four times a week at the City Island Yacht Club?” he pointed. “There’s also another team that sails out of the Morris Yacht and Beach Club too, but I can’t remember which one.”
“Wow, I didn’t know any of this.”
“Glad I could help,” he said, and commenced to stare into the distance. A smiled creased his mouth. “And then sometimes we’d go to the amusement park. We didn’t go shopping at the mall or anything. Dad said too many bad people hung out there and he didn’t want me to be exposed to them. On Saturdays we always went to the movies and that was fun. And he’d take me to the arcade and let me spend as much money as I wanted. I still have winning tickets to trade in for gifts. They’re in my dresser. Can I go back and get them? I’d like to give them to Luc. He doesn’t have much fun you know?”
Elusive Justice (Kensington-Gerard Detective series Book 2) Page 5